HEATH, Ohio -- Back on Dec. 14, the Johnstown Johnnies defeated the Heath Bulldogs by a score of 53-50.

Thursday, it was a different story, as Heath jumped out to an early lead and held on late to defeat Johnstown, 62-60, making things interesting in the LCL-Cardinal going forward.

Each team's star players came to play, making for quite the battle! At the start of the first frame, juniors Reece Huber and Brandon McLaughlin were doing it all for Heath offensively. McLaughlin had the first five points for the Bulldogs, while Huber pitched in the next six. The Johnnies struggled to score early, but they were able to take three charges in the first quarter to keep the score at 15-7.

Junior Keylan Williams of Heath and senior Gavin Foe of Johnstown each had a strong second quarter for their teams. Williams threw a dime to a rolling McLauglin for the slam, as well as adding a pair of triples in the quarter. Foe finished the frame with 10 points, however the Johnnies still trailed 34-22 at halftime.

Johnstown had a stellar start to the second half, as the Johnnies went on a 10-0 run led by seniors Foe and Jake Lusk, cutting the Bulldogs lead to just six. During this run, Johnstown forced a couple of turnovers and executed their offense perfectly. Foe had an impressive sequence during their run where he capped off a fast break with a dunk, then he saved a basket on defense with a chase down block.

Heath held a 45-39 lead after three quarters.

Seniors Brandon McConnell of Johnstown and Nick Lamar of Heath each traded three pointers to begin the final frame. Lusk put his team on his back in the fourth quarter, finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds. Despite Lusk’s stellar performance, the Bulldogs seemed to answer the majority of the Johnnies' runs with their strong foul shooting. In a tale of two halves, Heath’s large lead was too much for Johnstown to overcome, as the Bulldogs got the win by a score of 62-60.

Heath was led by McLaughlin and Huber with 17 points each, while Williams contributed 12 points.

Johnstown was led by their duo of Lusk and Foe. Lusk led the team with a 26 point and 16 rebound double double, while Foe added 19 points and a team high four assists. 

Both teams are back in action this week. Heath (7-1, 6-1) is taking on Licking Valley (3-7) next Tuesday, while Johnstown (10-4, 7-1) hosts Newark Catholic (6-6) this Saturday.

Brandon McLaughlin (6’8 PF / Heath / 2022): The Heath big man dominated the early parts of this game. He showed the whole arsenal offensively hitting from mid range, behind the arc and hammered a dunk off a pick and roll. At 6-foot-8, his ability to handle the ball and attack off the dribble makes him a very tough matchup. McLaughlin is a game changer on the defensive end. He is very disciplined and uses his size to challenge and change a lot of shots. He led the Bulldogs in points and rebounds with 17 and six. The junior seems to find ways to improve his game each time we see him.  

Reece Huber (6’0 CG / Heath / 2022): The junior guard plays a lot of important rolls for the Bulldogs. He is the team's primary point guard and Heath’s offense seems to feed off his movement and dribble penetration. Huber has a great first step to get by his defender and get to the rim. The Johnnies could not stay in front of him early, leading to eight first quarter points. His offensive game is in constant attack mode, creating contact and getting to the line where he was an impressive 9-10 for the game. Huber filled the stat sheet with team highs of 17 points and four assists. Not to be overlooked, Huber gets to check the opposing team's best guard. He is a very active defender who creates a lot of disruption and turnovers.

Gavin Foe (6'3 WG / Johnstown / 2021): Foe and the Johnnies got off to a slow start in the first quarter. Johnstown’s floor leader heated up from that point on, scoring 19 points in the final three quarters. He is one of the bigger and more athletic guards in Central Ohio. He elevates well for a guard, which was evident by his fast break dunk followed by a chase down block. The Marian commit’s strength is getting to the paint, where he is a great finisher. Foe has a good shooting form and will need to show his perimeter game as opponents try to take away driving lanes.

Jake Lusk (6'3 WF / Johnstown / 2021): I have not covered a player that plays tougher and with a more refuse to lose mentality than Lusk. He took over in the second half scoring 18 points and pulling in 14 boards after the break. The Navy Football commit is a relentless worker who seems to find a way to get to nearly every rebound. Lusk is a good finisher and with his strong frame scores through contact. Lusk finished with game highs of 26 points and 16 rebounds, all while drawing the assignment of guarding one of the top big men in the area in McLaughlin.